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Graphic Novel Review 314/365: Magnificent

Please keep up with all of my old Graphic Novel Reviews here as I quest for 365 in 365 days! Or search #365GN on Twitter.

Hey, all! I have some cool things coming your way in May, so make sure that you are checking back every day. I appreciate you for reading.

Today, a couple of local guys, trying to make a name for themselves in a tough market.

Title: Magnificent

Author(s): Carmelo Chimera and Steven Brown

Publisher: Chimera’s Comics (2016)

Age Rating: 13+

I met with Carmelo Chimera in his shop a couple of years ago to discuss the possible educational side of the indie book. I interviewed him, we chatted about Magnificent, and a bought some variant covers I was looking for! It was a good time. I blogged about it, and if you’re interesting in reading that post, you can find it here.

I FINALLY picked up my Kickstarted copy of Magnificent today from the Chimera’s Comics on 95th Street in Oak Lawn, IL., and when I got home, I could not wait to get into it; heck, it’s been over two years since the title peaked my interest.

The story is not very long, but it is well paced, sets itself up nicely for a sequel, and does contain some cool back matter. The story centers around a teen named Adam that has the ability to control barometric pressure, and if you don’t know what that means, it basically means that he can control air: he can fly, move things around, create a force field. It’s pretty cool stuff. Never heard of a hero having that specific power.

One day, Magnificent heads up into the atmosphere to intercept a nuclear bomb, the force of the explosion sends him slamming into the earth, knocking him unconscious, allowing a secret research facility to capture, contain, and experiment on him.

The story flashes back and forth between his past and his time in the facility. The parallel editing breaks up the story well, and honestly, if it were told chronologically, I might be saying that the storytelling was a bit on the nose, but the way it is edited/written, it does not feel that way.

There are a number of lessons in the book as you would imagine with our protagonist being a young man; I’m forty, and I’m still learning! Adam discovers what it means to make sacrifices, what it means to be in supportive relationships, and what encapsulates our struggle to survive.

I’d check this one out if you can. I fully support the idea of going after your dreams like Chimera and Brown have. This book has been a long time coming, and as many of us know, finishing a product of this magnitude is Magnificent.